[4] On August 27, attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard were also selected as honorary co-chairs, both of whom were former Democrats that had recently endorsed Trump.

[5] Kennedy had originally mounted an independent presidential bid before withdrawing from the race to endorse Trump, reportedly in exchange for a Cabinet position in his administration.

[6] In October, The New York Times noted how Trump had refused to sign standard agreements around ethics and disclosure in order to begin key aspects of the transition process.

[9] On November 24, Politico described Trump's refusal to accept federal transition assistance as a potential national security concern and "unprecedented in the modern presidential system".

Trump's transition team ruled out signing a memorandum of understanding with the General Services Administration, instead opting to use an independently drafted ethics plan; an agreement with the Department of Justice, which allows background checks and security clearances with the Federal Bureau of Investigation required for Senate confirmation of certain positions, was belatedly signed on December 3.

[14] The following day, President Joe Biden appeared at a press event at the Rose Garden where he named "the steps he was taking" in coordinating a White House transition.

[37] Trump also named Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk to lead a new Department of Government Efficiency, a non-governmental partner of the Office of Management and Budget and likely a presidential advisory commission to lead structural reform in government;[38] South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as nominee for Secretary of Homeland Security;[39] former Director of National Intelligence and former Texas Congressman John Ratcliffe as nominee for Director of the Central Intelligence Agency;[40] and Army National Guard veteran and Fox News commentator Pete Hegseth as nominee for Secretary of Defense.

[48][49] On November 14, Trump nominated former 2024 presidential candidate, environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Secretary of Health and Human Services.

[55][56][57] Jay Clayton, former chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, was nominated as United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.

[72][73] On November 21, former Representative Matt Gaetz announced his withdrawal from consideration as Trump's Attorney General pick, reportedly due to lack of support for his nomination in the Senate.

[75][76][77][78] On November 22, Trump announced he would nominate Scott Bessent, the founder of the macro hedge fund Key Square Group, for the position of Treasury Secretary;[79][80] Oregon congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer for the position of Secretary of Labor;[81][82][83] former NFL player and former Texas State Representative Scott Turner for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development;[84][85][86][87][88] Fox News contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for Surgeon General;[89] Russell Vought for Director of the Office of Management and Budget;[90] surgeon Dr. Marty Makary for Commissioner of the FDA;[91][92] and former Florida Representative Dr. Dave Weldon for Director of the CDC.

[102] On November 27, Trump announced that retired Army general Keith Kellogg would serve as his special envoy to Ukraine and Russia.

[114] On December 4, Trump nominated former Missouri Representative Billy Long for IRS Commissioner;[115] former Georgia Senator Kelly Loeffler to be the Administrator of the Small Business Administration;[116] his personal lawyer David Warrington to replace Bill McGinley as White House Counsel (McGinley would instead serve as advisor to the Department of Government Efficiency);[117] Fiserv CEO Frank Bisignano to be the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration;[118] Iraq veteran and 2020 North Carolina congressional candidate Daniel P. Driscoll for Secretary of the Army;[119] tech entrepreneur and commercial astronaut Jared Isaacman for Administrator of NASA;[120] former CEO of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation and current CEO of Rubicon Founders Adam Boehler for Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs;[121] economist Peter Navarro for Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing;[122] Professor Michael Faulkender for Deputy Treasury Secretary;[123] former United States Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Public Affairs Monica Crowley for Chief of Protocol;[124] former Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission Paul S. Atkins for Chairman of the SEC[125] and JD Vance's policy advisor Gail Slater for Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division.

[126] On December 5, Trump nominated ICE Assistant Director of the Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs Caleb Vitello as Director of ICE;[127] Rodney Scott for Chief of Customs and Border Protection;[128] former president of the Border Patrol Union Brandon Judd for Ambassador to Chile;[129] former Georgia Senator David Perdue for Ambassador to China;[130] David O. Sacks for Cryptocurrency and Artificial Intelligence Czar;[131] and Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Miami Anthony Salisbury as Deputy Homeland Security Advisor.

[143] The VOA director is not directly selected by the President, but rather by the CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, a role which requires Senate confirmation.

[155] On December 21, Trump nominated former MGM chairman and producer Mark Burnett as Special Envoy to the United Kingdom;[156] former top Department of Homeland Security attorney Chad Mizelle for Chief of Staff at the Department of Justice (Mizelle being the husband of Trump-appointed Florida federal judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle);[157] Texas Senator Ted Cruz's Chief of Staff Aaron Reitz as head of DOJ's Office of Legal Counsel;[158] former Pan Am Railways President David Fink for Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration;[159] Landry's CEO and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta for Ambassador to Italy and Ambassador to San Marino;[160] and CatholicVote President Brian Burch for Ambassador to Vatican City.

He also nominated former Ambassador to Sweden Ken Howery for Ambassador to Denmark;[163] former president of the Inter-American Development Bank Mauricio Claver-Carone, as special envoy for Latin America;[164] Hewlett Packard Vice President Scott Kupor for Director of Office of Personnel Management;[165] 2022 North Carolina congressional candidate Bo Hines for executive director of his new proposed crypto advisory council;[166] former Uber executive Emil Michael as Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering;[167] businessman Stephen Feinberg for Deputy Secretary of Defense;[167] Project 2025 Author Elbridge Colby for Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, he is also the grandson of former Director of Central Intelligence William Colby;[167] and Stephen Miran for Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers.

[175][176] On January 3, Trump nominated Morgan Ortagus as his deputy special envoy to the Middle East;[177] Roman Pipko for Ambassador to Estonia;[178] and Tammy Bruce for Spokesperson for the Department of State.

[179] On January 6, Trump nominated Nassau County Judge Joseph Nocella Jr. as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

[180] On January 7, Trump announced that he intends to fire Colleen Joy Shogan, chief Archivist of the National Archives and Records Administration.

[182] Trump also nominated Leo Terrell for Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the US Department of Justice.

Trump also nominated 2024 Nevada Senate Republican candidate Sam Brown for Under Secretary for Memorial Services at the US Department of Veteran's Affairs.

[183][184] On January 14, Trump nominated former Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission commissioner Keith Sonderling for Deputy Labor Secretary.

[185] On January 16, Trump nominated private equity CEO Bill Pulte to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency,[186] former congressman Brandon Williams as the Under Secretary of Energy for Nuclear Security and the Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration,[187] and Darío Gil as Under Secretary of Energy for Science and Innovation.

[192] On February 6, Trump nominated former police chief of Palmetto Bay, Florida Gadyaces Serralta to be Director of the United States Marshals Service.

[198] On December 18, Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker announced that Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth would begin confirmation hearings on January 14.

Later that day, the Senate confirmed John Ratcliffe in a vote of 74–25 for CIA Director[228][229] and he was later sworn in by Vice President JD Vance.

[237] The Senate voted 59–34 in favor of the nomination of Kristi Noem for Homeland Security Secretary;[238][239] and was sworn in later that day by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas in the place of Vice President Vance who had a scheduling conflict.

[278][279] On February 12, the Senate voted 52–48 in favor of Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence[280][281] and she was sworn in later that day by Attorney General Pam Bondi.

[283] On February 13, the Senate voted 52–48 in favor of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s nomination for HHS Secretary[284][285][286] and he was sworn in later that day by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch.